The Lion s Roar (translation)
by Lara Harker
Summary: Diary of Marah, Aioria Leo s new trainee. A faithful account of her adventures and misandventures in the Sanctuary of Athena. (translation from the spanish version)


**I**

**BAD BEGINNING.**

_-Sabaa alKair_, Hafsa.- the voice of Perseus Algol dangerously close to my face made me wake up with a start, and with a punch, I removed the saint from my sight. I put the mask on hastily.

-Good morning to you too, Algol. And by the way, my name is not Hafsa, ¿remember?

-That´s how they called you when we found you in that house in Meddinah.-said the boy, hurt by the blow fist straight into his face.

-But I was not born there. I was born in London. And I have repeated my real name to you a thousand times, at least. I will not do it once more.

I looked around. I was in one of the rooms of Algol´s cottage. Then I understood that the journey from Saudi Arabia to Athens wasn´t a dream.

-Oh, c´mon, Li´l Lioness…¿did you woke up in a bad mood?-he asked, putting his jaw back in the right place with an unshaken gesture.

-Anyone that had to travel and live with you would have my mood. But, do you know you just ´ve wont the lotto? You woke me up, you saw me without my mask…those are two powerful reasons to mince you into little pieces.- I replied acidly, my voice filled with threats. The "saint" discarded the possibility of an imminent death like he was fanning away a nagging swarm of flies. He smiled.

-But, _habiba_, ¿Didn´t you knew? The Law of the Mask has been abolished.

That simple phrase had the same effect on me as a bucket of ice-cold water. Laughing with ill-hidden cynicism, Algol of Perseus left the room. I got up and closed the "door". It had not dawned yet. Perfect. That way I could go to the hot springs to take a bath, without encountering anyone or having to answer awkward questions. The problem was that I didn't quite remembered where the hotsprings were. I would have to search for them on my own. I walked out quickly from the cottage, orienting myself as best as I could in the darkness. After a good while of walking, I ran into early rising Sanctuary guards that glanced at me in an awkward manner and which I completely ignored when they asked me if I was Leo Aioria´s new trainee.

And finally I arrived to the hot springs, only to remember that the springs designated to the amazons where IN the Amazon Villa. So, unless I wanted to be eye-devoured, I had to undo my track until my departing point, and then, walk beyond into the unknown. This was my second visit to Athena´s Sanctuary in my whole life. I started to run, because I was getting late. I had, in a cotton pouch, a towel, clean clothes and a comb. I arrived to the Amazon Villa, I got myself in without asking permission and I swiftly slipped into the spring. I bathed myself, got dressed, put my mask on and fixed my hair as best as I could.

However, when I was leaving the baths, I ran into the infamous Ophiucus Shaina, Algol´s best friend ever.

-Well well, what do we got here?"-she asked me, contemptuously.-Marine´s new rival.

-Learn some manners, Ophiucus. You greet the other person first. And, about what you were just saying, I´m afraid I don´t understand you. Rival to Marine? She´s got herself her own Silver Cloth already.

-I didn´t meant that, you stupid. - She rudely interrupted me.

-I will not stand such treatment, Ophiucus. You can be the Queen of Worms yourself, as I´m only an apprentice…That doesn´t entitle you…

Then she whipped such a powerful fist blow at me, that I was thrown away several feet from my initial position. I got up quite beside myself, as a Fury, and I thrown myself into her in what many people would consider plain suicide, as I´m not well trained, I don´t have an armour and I just arrived into the Sanctuary. Bewildered by my boldness, she stood still enough time for me to kick her several times, and I punched her in the stomach (and oh it that tasted like glory), until the disaster came.

I just heard "Thunder Claw!", and saw an enormous ball of magenta light coming straight at me; it threw me against the hotsprings and made me hit a stone with the back of my head so hard I thought my skull was broken from the impact. But it didn´t ended like that. After defeating me, I felt a couple of hands gripping my neck, plunging me into the water without letting me breathe. I twisted and turned so she would let me go. Then everything went black.

...

I woke up in a cottage I´ve never seen before. Someone was laying warm wet clothes on my forehead. I opened my eyes, and before me, was a young woman with bright blonde hair and big green eyes looking worriedly at me.

-_Ti kánis_?- she asked me sweetly. I blinked, trying to remember how to speak in greek. Like my mind only worked on Arab or English. Then I understood what she was asking.

-So so. Everything hurts.-I replied to her.-What´s your name?

-My name is June. I am the Bronze Amazon of the Chameleon. And who are you?

-Marah, apprentice of Leo. I have just arrived…and I´m supposed to be at a meeting with the Pope.

-Yes, I could notice you have just arrived. Shaina does this to the new trainees. But it seems that your meeting with the Holy Father has been cancelled. You have been unconscious for two days. I found you floating in the springs when I went there to take a bath.

Two days? Bloody hell!

-Bloody sand snake!- I spluttered, dying of anger, and I tried to get up. June, my new friend, made me lie back again.

-You should stay put. You have a high fever and you´re badly wounded. Shaina was so enraged at you, I haven´t seen her like that in a while. I don´t know what you could have done to rise her fury.

-It was the "worm queen" part of my speech, perhaps.-I wondered, trying to look innocent. June started to laugh heartily, and I laughed too, but my head made me stop and stay silent. It hurted badly.

-So deserved. - sighed June, wiping laughter tears from her eyelashes.

-I´m in so much gratitude to you, for taking me out of that mess, June. If you hadn´t arrived, I would be probably dead.

-But you´re so gonna die now.-she told me, mysteriously- Saint Aioria is not currently in the Sanctuary. That was the subject of your meeting with the Pope, to give you a temporary master, while he arrives from a mission abroad.

I felt a little queasy. Wasn´t I going to train with Aioria? Then, with whom?

-Don´t worry, Marah.- June soothed me.-There´s still the Old Master at Libra and Knight Aldebaran of Taurus, though I think he´s got himself a new trainee too.

-How much time Aioria will be delayed?-I asked.

-I don´t know- answered June with a smile- But I you feel better later, we can go for a walk, and maybe, try to meet the Pope.

She took out the cloth from my forehead, soaked it in the warm water and then laid it again. I closed my eyes and drifted into sleep.

:::::

-You´ve gotta eat something.-said June, exasperated- You haven´t had anything to eat in three or more days. Do you not feel hungry?

-No, June. Not really. I´m fine with some water and some fruit.

I was sitting to the table, with a bowl of something that June called "soup" in front of me. I swore to the gods I would not even sip a drop from that weird looking, bad smelling, dark green broth. I´d rather die from starvation than from poisoning.

-Ok, you win.-she gave in, putting a peach, a little knife and a glass of water in front of me.-I wonder why everyone runs away from what I cook. It tastes just fine to me.

-Oh, come on, June, don´t be cross- I said with an almost sarcastic smile. I took the knife and peeled the peach, cut it into pieces and put aside the core. After June saw me ate for a while, we routed ourselves out of the Amazon Villa. It was getting dark. In some places we saw bonfires and people around them, cooking and talking after a long day of work.

-Look, in that way, is the Saint Villa.-said June, pointing out with her finger.-this way, the beginning of the Zodiac Stairway, and by this other way, you can go to Rodhorio, Kamalákion and Athene, and beyond, by this way, you can go to the cliffs of Cape Sounion. Close to the Saint Villa and the River are the dining halls, and pretty far west, the cemetery of the Saints.

Ok. Clear enough. I hope I won´t get lost within the house of whoever is going to train me.

-June!

A child´s shout made me turn around to the amazon. An orange haired boy squeezed June´s abdomen between his chubby arms. The girl made a pain gesture with her body, but when she noticed I was looking at her, she just concealed it and pretended it didn´t happened.

-Hello, Kiki.-she greeted.-I´m glad to see you too.

The boy reminded me the brats of Meddinah, and I smiled behind the mask. The children of my godparents, that jumped on me every single time I came from the market with _Lala Samira_, my godmother, and hugged me until the air escaped from my lungs.

-And who are you?-the boy asked me, looking at me with his little rascal´s eyes. Then I noticed the little dots that he had instead of eyebrows. Like the dots of the Pope. Like the dots of the Saint of Aries. Lemurians. My grandfather had investigated their civilization, their culture…and presented his investigations to the most renowned colleges of London, which took him by a fool.

If only the morons of the Investigations Comitee saw what I was seeing…

-I am Marah, apprentice of Leo.-I introduced myself, shaking the kid´s hand. His face contorted suddenly in panic.

-By Athena! I forgot about it! The Pope sent me to look for you since this morning. He wants to see you today.

Kiki´s panic seized me. I was left without blood in my brain. I got him by the arm and started running.

-Hey Marah! Wait for me!- shouted June, running behind us. She finally catched us. But the world suddenly blurred in fleeting lines. And it stopped. We were at the fassade of a magnificent temple. The Aries temple.

-I can only beam us up unto here.-Kiki said.-But I will go with you to meet the Pope, Marah.

We started to run. Then, just before entering the Temple, an invisible barrier stopped us.

-Saint of Aries, would you allow us to pass through your House? I must meet with the Pope urgently.-I asked.

The man walked slowly to meet us. Mu of Aries was one of the most beautiful creatures I´ve ever laid eyes upon. He tried to remember who I was for a few seconds, I thought, a few awkward seconds, in which my eyes practically began to water only by the sight of him. Lemuria´s people made me thought painfully about my grandfather. Finally, before I managed to even open my mouth, Kiki and the Knight of Aries looked deeply into each other´s eyes. Mu´s facial expression relaxed. Kiki, it seemed, already had remembered his master my name and the reason of my presence there.

-You can come through, Marah of Leo.-he said, with that soft but peremptory voice I heard from him the first time I came to the Sanctuary.-Be welcome once again.

We kept running. Then I remembered fondly my dear friends: the billions and zillions of stairs to the Pope´s Temple. Aldebaran was sitting on the stairs near his House, polishing the one-horned helmet of his gilded armour. He greeted us effusively, almost breaking my hand in his handshake.

-You´ve grown up, _garotinha_. I´m happy to see you again! - he shouted when we were already leaving his Temple. I thought I felt someone´s glance fixed on my back.

Gemini Temple seemed empty, until its Guardian came to see who was the owner of the new Cosmo that passed through it. He presented himself as Kanon. If I thought Aries Mu was beautiful, I found myself positively drooling just by the sight of him. He was like a god carved in marble, such flowing hair, tanned skin, green eyes. That sideway mischievous smirk. Made in heaven, he was. But I had already learned how to detect and analize people´s cosmoenergy, and I knew that he was very, very powerful and that he probably would not appreciate a little brat like me bothering him often. So I mentally made a note to self to trouble him the least possible and to stay prudently away from the Third House. Something in the expression of his face made me feel uneasy, scared me, like if he was bearing a huge weight of guilt over his broad shoulders. Cancer House was empty, and I was very glad to hear the news of a red-haired and very cinical amazon named Chloe had substituted the absolutely creepy psychopath that used to occupy it. That serial killer almost sent me straight to bedlam within a minute or two of conversation and with my master present._ Yes, I admired sincerely Mademoiselle Noir_. And, praised be Athena, the carnival of macabre-ish venetian style masks was gone.

Leo was also empty, and I sighed. In Libra, the Old Master joined us. I wonder why everyone called him Old Master, _Roshi. _I can´t see any sing of old age about him, except by his eyes. I noticed the wisdom and strength in his green gaze, and I felt goosebumps. I didn´t knew if it was because my fever was rising again, or perhaps it was the intensity of the Master of Libra. Scorpion Milo lusted over June in such a way I felt like made of stone, but he didn´t even bothered to ask my name. Fine. That way I won´t have to deal with him. Sagitarius, eternally empty. I blessed Aioros name in my mind. Capricorn was deserted too, like Acuarius. But what didn´t happened in Scorpio did in Pisces. Aphrodite glanced at me quite blatantly, with scrutinizing eyes, and I definitely didn´t liked it. That I was aware of, he was not of a friendly manner to anyone but his roses.

June and I found ourselves kneeling with one leg raised, behind Dohko, and beside us, little Kiki twisted and knotted his hands into one another with worry. I was utterly dizzy, feverish, overwhelmed. My memories made no justice to the beauty of the Sanctuary of Athena, to its massiveness, its practical yet elegant design, its marble and stone walls, its columns and statues. I felt trapped, claustrophobic almost.

At last, the Pope came out from his private quarters and sat on his throne with all the elegance characteristic to him. He saluted us with a little bow of his head. His face didn´t seemed happy to see us, though. It was Kiki´s blame, I thought, him being so bird-witted.

-Chameleon June, Marah apprentice of Leo, stand up- he said, with authoritative voice. I was starting to get very stunned. I stayed stupefied watching the nacreous glow of Shion´s whitest skin, his long green hair, his pink eyes. I tried to stand without staggering too much; I managed, using all of my self-control.

-June, you are dismissed. I´m sure Marah will not forget what you have done for her. - Shion´s voice tone carried a direct reproach to her. June nodded with her head, ashamed. Then I realized. June did not found me floating around in the springs. She had taken me out of Shaina´s claws and fought her just to keep me alive. I looked at her with immense gratitude. The young woman made a deep bow to Shion and then turned away and left quickly. And I stood where I was, shaking.

-Master- began Kiki, half nervous, half smiling.-Marah´s not to be blamed. It was me who forgot to search for her. Please don´t punish her.

To my eternal distress, Shion and Dohko watched the horrid purple finger marks left by Shaina in my neck.

-Don´t you worry, Kiki. I think someone already did it for him.- said Dohko. I blushed so much that I thought I was going to faint. I had this terrible need to tear Shaina apart: my blood and my brain claimed for it.

-You have grown up, girl. - said the Pope to me, almost smirking.- Two years ago we thought you were only a child without any kind of warlike abilities. You have improved yourself. Now we think the best thing to do is to let you be trained here properly from now on, if not, your capacities would be lost.

-But, Sir…Aioria is not here, as I was told by June. Who will be destined to teach me? - I ventured myself out with a steady voice. Dohko looked at me, smiling.

-It seems like me and you, little lioness, are going to spend some time together.

I breathed in and out a couple of times before realizing that I was going to be trained by the Master of Libra. Great! He was the one who could easily deal with my concentration issues and with my cosmo. It was not going to be easy, but I was in such good hands, Athena be praised.

I felt a sudden flash of the throbbing and warm cosmo of the Goddess surrounding me, her gentle voice in my mind. A huge smile took over my masked face.

...

It was very late in the night when I came back to the Saint Villa. The Knight of Perseus was outside his cottage, apparently waiting for me with this inscrutable expression in his face. I didn´t even greeted him and went straight to my room. He entered the cottage behind me and stayed on his feet, recumbent against the doorpost.

-Farewell, Algol. Gratitude for everything.-I said while picking my luggage. The man obviously noticed the sarcastic tone in my voice, and became furious. He grabbed me by my right wrist and attracted me to him in such a way that my face was left a few inches away from his own. I growled, threatening. Algol left me and I stepped away from him.

-I had better left you at Meddinah. That way I could have you only to myself and visit you to my whim. - he mumbled, with poison in his voice.

-Leave me alone, Algol, why do you say so much nonsense? My godfathers would have never granted you my hand.

-Why?-he asked, incensed.

-Because, Algol.- I started, and appealed directly to his fatalism.- Maktub. It was already written that I would become an Athena´s amazon and not a common woman. And if you don´t mind, I´m leaving. _Maá elSalama_.

But then I suddenly turned around, letting my backpacks go, and engraved my fist into his face, causing him an immediate nasal hemorrhage.

-That was because not telling me about the Law of the Mask. I used it for almost a year without it being mandatory.

I picked up my luggage again and stormed out of Perseus´cottage and headed again to the Zodiac Stairway. If it had been martyrdom to climb it without cargo, now it would be infinitely worse. And I had to climb it unto Libra.

When I finally arrived, more than an hour and a half later, Dohko was expecting me with a smile. He signaled my private room to me, and I made myself comfortable. It was pretty and useful. A bed, a nighstand beside it, a wardrobe and a desk. I started unpacking. I finished arranging my personal effects in a twenty minute´s time. At last, the picture of an old man with deep and bright turquoise eyes that had a smiling child of light brown, almost dirty blond hair in his arms, with the Parthenon as background, finally rested on my nightstand.

I went outside my room. Dohko was meditating. I watched him a while, and then headed back to my room, to try and sleep.

::::::::::::::::::::::

Saba´a AlKair: goord morning (arab)

Habiba: dear, Darling, beloved (arab, feminine)

Hafsa: Young/Little lioness. (Arab)

Ti Kanis:How are you?(greek)

Maktub: predestined, already written (arab)

Ma´a ElSalama: Goodbye (arab)


End file.
